Conditions in the Ionosphere

Contour map of the predicted altitude above the Earth's surface where the electron density reaches its maximum value constructed by Solar Terrestrial Dispatch

(updated every 30 minutes)


Image provided by the Solar Terrestrial Dispatch. Contact COler@Solar.Stanford.Edu.

The Basic Facts:

The global contour map gives the height maximum of the F2 layer (abbreviated hmF2) in kilometers above the Earth's surface. Also shown are the current location of the auroral oval, the locaton of the sunrise/sunset terminator and the regions where the sun is less than 12 degrees below the horizon (called the gray-line corridor). In the gray-line corridor, the lowest altitude ions are rapidly lost as the sun sets but the high altitude ions are still plentiful. These are particularly good conditions for short-wave radio signal propagation. The higher the altitude of the F2 peak, the farther the radio signal will be able to propagate.

The source of this material is Windows to the Universe, at http://windows2universe.org/ from the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA). The Website was developed in part with the support of UCAR and NCAR, where it resided from 2000 - 2010. © 2010 National Earth Science Teachers Association. Windows to the Universe® is a registered trademark of NESTA. All Rights Reserved. Site policies and disclaimer.